Discounting

This month's Living Etc has a 20% off offer with Habitat. Hurry though as it expires on 31st May. I hotfooted it in the rain today to Tottenham Court Road and bought this fantastic sail awning for the eating area in our garden. It's a tricky spot as it has no shade but not enough room for a parasol so this should be perfect.



Also used my discount to buy a selection of these bowls and plates in yellow and grey for lots of outdoor lunches and suppers this summer. They'll look fab mixed in with my charcoal napkins and pale grey tablecloth.

Watching

Going to see When the Rain Stops Falling at the Almeida Theatre tonight by the Australian writer Andrew Bovell. He wrote the award winning film Lantana and co-wrote the screenplay for Strictly Ballroom. The play spans four generations and is set in London and South Australia. It's had mixed reviews, but comes recommended by my mother in law Chris who saw it in Adelaide recently!

Almeida Theatre - Box Office: 020 7359 4404
www.almeida.co.uk
Bases on Another Place by Anthony Gormley from the Almeida website

Eating

Today I had lunch with R and Baby Diver at Rochelle Canteen. Run by Melanie Arnold and Margot Henderson, the room itself is a converted bike shed with folding glass doors which open onto an old school playground with lots of outside tables for lunches on sunny days. It's a clean, white space with an open kitchen and calm air. Here's today's menu:

Wednesday 20 May 2009

Cauliflower Soup
Kohlrabi, Radish & Sorrel
Asparagus & Butter
Anchovy Toast
Duck Rillette & Cornichons

Roast Chicken & Aioli
Smoked Eel, Beetroot & Boiled Egg
Roast Pork Belly & Butterbeans
Fennel & Berkswell Bake

Green Salad
New Potatoes
Spring Greens

Caramel Ice Cream
Chocolate Pot
Welsh Rarebit

We had the roast chicken, a side of spring greens, followed by caramel ice cream. The simple title roast chicken doesn't do this dish justice. Half a succulent bird, slowly roasted with paprika, tomatoes and potatoes - we sighed out loud when our plates were laid before us. It was simply just the best chicken dish I've had in a long time. The chicken was amazing, and the potatoes were soft and piquant with a depth of flavour from the roasted tomatoes. The aioli was just the right side of garlicky and very creamy. Stunning. The caramel ice cream was so good I dribbled it down my new top.

Rochelle Canteen
Rochelle School
Arnold Circus
London
E2 7ES
020 7729 5677
Open Monday to Friday 9.30am to 4pm
Lunch 12 to 3pm
Closed evenings, weekends and bank holidays
BYO corkage £5